The Lost Truth
by alastingimpression
Summary: The Camden's live in Colorado. One day, a familiar stranger shows up on their doorsteps.. Author's Notes in Chapter Four. Please read.
1. Chapter One

Author's Note : The story might be a bit confusing to some. But soon you'll understand. This takes place in early 2003. Nothing that happened in season 7 or 8 has happened now.   
  
Disclaimer : I'll only say it once. 7th Heaven is not mine. None of its characters are mine. They belong to Brenda Hampton.   
  
Prologue:   
  
July 18, 1990  
  
Eric Camden paced and paced. His twins were about to be born. Just then, twelve year old Matt came chasing his eight year old sister, Lucy, all around the waiting room.  
  
"The monster's going to get you!" Matt called.  
  
"No! Daddy! Help me, help me! He's gonna get me! Matt says that he knows the big, fat, ugly monster on those nasal spray commercials! He knows him! He said he met him at school and that he's bigger, fatter, and uglier than on TV!" Lucy called, when Eric picked her up.   
  
"It's ok, honey," He said, with loving eyes. His little blonde daughter. Her hair was getting darker. It had been almost white at her birth. Now he was waiting for his twins to come. Two more babies. He already had four. What more could he want? Then Mary ran up to him.  
  
"Daddy, daddy, I lost Simon!" Mary said.  
  
"You lost him?" Eric asked.   
  
"Yeah, who knew how slow a four year old can go?" Mary asked, her long dark hair falling into her face through her pout.   
  
"Everyone knows that you're faster than everyone in the family, and Simon's only a small, small, child!" Eric explained.  
  
"I know," Mary replied. Eric put Lucy down on the floor.   
  
"Where did you see him last?" Eric asked. Mary pointed to her left. Eric ran left, followed by Mary. Then, Matt scared Lucy again, and she ran in the opposite direction of Eric and Mary. Matt sat down in a chair, and read a magazine.  
  
In twenty minutes, Eric returned with Simon and a bawling Mary.   
  
"Where's Lucy?" Eric asked.  
  
"I don't know. She ran off when you guys did," Matt replied, putting down the magazine.  
  
"Which way did she go?" Eric asked. Matt thought.  
  
"I don't remember!" Matt replied, honestly. Then, a doctor came out.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Dr. Daniels said.  
  
"What?" Eric asked, chills running down his spine.  
  
"Only one twin survived. You have a baby girl," Dr. Daniels replied, "You can go and see Annie and the babies." Eric walked into the hospital room and saw Annie, holding two babies. One was very, very small. The other was bigger, but yellow.  
  
"Which one is it?" Eric asked, staring at his baby girls. From his distance they both looked sleeping.  
  
"This one!" Annie cried, looking at the yellow one. Eric came and touched her.  
  
"Why?" Eric asked.  
  
"She had johndus," Annie replied. Eric swallowed.  
  
"What about the other one?" Eric asked.  
  
"They've given her a week. She weighs only two pounds. They're going to take her to the incubator in ICU in a few minutes. Since they came early, their lungs are not fully developed, and they are going to take her quickly," Annie explained.  
  
"A week?" Eric asked.  
  
"We need a miracle," Annie replied, "We should name them."  
  
"Ruth Ann and Jennifer Louise," Eric said.  
  
"I like that. Which one?" Annie asked.  
  
"You pick," Eric replied. Annie handed him the living one.  
  
"This should be Ruth, like your mom, a fighter," Annie said. Eric held her and then remembered Lucy.  
  
"Lucy....is....gone," Eric replied.  
  
"What?" Annie asked.  
  
"She's lost," Eric replied.  
  
"What can we do?" Annie asked.  
  
"Simon will easily forget he ever had sister if we don't find her, but Matt will live with the guilt, and so will I. I should have never left them alone!" Eric replied.  
  
"It's not your fault, it's no one's fault. It's no one's fault that Jennifer died, or that Ruth will. It's no one's fault. No, not one," Annie said.   
  
----  
  
Your thoughts are appreciated. 


	2. Chapter Two

January 2003   
  
Mary sat outside, smoking. The snow around her made her teeth chatter, but she couldn't let her parents know that she was smoking. Robbie came outside.  
  
"You've got to quit smoking, babe," Robbie said, sitting beside Mary.  
  
"No I don't. We've really got to find a place to live before I have this baby!" Mary replied, pointing to her stomach, which was flat.  
  
"You just found out that you were pregnant a month ago. You've still got like eight months before the baby is born," Robbie said.  
  
"Which is exactly why I'm not going to quit smoking," Mary replied, walking inside. Robbie rolled his eyes. He knew that he was going to find a way to make her quit. Ruthie and her boyfriend, Kyle, rode up on their bikes.  
  
"Hey Robbie, what's going on?" Ruthie asked, removing her helmet.  
  
"Why are you two riding your bikes in this mess? There's like three inches of snow!" Robbie replied.  
  
"You are too used to California. We moved out here three years ago, and I've been adjusted to life in Denver as I can get, get adjusted!" Ruthie said.  
  
"Well Mary and I have only been living here for a year, it's a thing called college," Robbie replied.  
  
"It's a thing called, you and Mary got married way too young. You were only seventeen. Oh, and she wasn't in college, you were," Ruthie explained.  
  
"Well, I'm sure if she'd had the chance, she would have gone too," Robbie replied.  
  
"It's her fault that she was expelled," Ruthie said, and she was right. Kyle just sat watching.  
  
"Do you want to go in now, or what?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's freezing. I was born here and I think you're more used to it than me," Kyle replied. They put their bikes against the basketball goal and went inside. 


	3. Chapter Three

Later at dinner, Eric, Annie, Mary, Simon, Ruthie, Sam, David, Robbie, and Kyle were at the table. Robbie sat beside Mary and they kissed. Sam and David kind of giggled and pretended to kiss each other.   
  
"Not funny, guys," Robbie said.  
  
"Yeah it is," Ruthie replied. She and Kyle secretly held hands under the table.  
  
"You guys, quit it," Mary said.  
  
"We're just kidding around, you don't have to be so serious," Robbie replied.   
  
"Fine, as long as you were just kidding around," Mary said. The doorbell rang.   
  
"I'll get it," Robbie said. He got up and answered the door. There stood Lucy.  
  
"Hi. I'm Lucy Loveday, I'm homeless," Lucy replied.  
  
"Come in, I'll be right there," Robbie said, letting her in. He went into the kitchen.   
  
"There's a girl in there who is homeless," Robbie said. They all moved to the living room, even the twins.   
  
"Hi, I'm Eric Camden," Eric said, extending his hand to Lucy.  
  
"I'm Lucy Loveday," Lucy replied, shaking his hand. They both felt something, but weren't sure of what.  
  
"You're homeless?" Annie asked.  
  
"Yes ma'm," Lucy replied.  
  
"Can she stay with us? We have two extra rooms," Ruthie asked.  
  
"Yes, why don't you stay with us until you can find yourself a place," Eric asked.  
  
"That would be great. I hope I'm not too much trouble," Lucy replied.  
  
"Do you have anything?" Annie asked.  
  
"I have a suitcase. My parents threw me out of the house. They thought that I was on drugs, but I can assure you that I'm not on drugs, my boyfriend was," Lucy replied.  
  
"Ok," Eric said.   
  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Lucy joined them for dinner. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious homeless girl was.   
  
"So, Lucy, what brings you here?" Mary asked.  
  
"This house seemed to be a warm environment," Lucy replied.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Robbie said. He had loved the Camden family the day he met them, but they had had a hard time accepting him as Mary's husband.  
  
"How long have you lived around here?" Eric asked, remembering the feeling he had had when they shook hands.  
  
"Ever since I can remember. I have a photo album of my family. I have two sisters, no brothers. It seems I've always been the black sheep of the family, and they act like they're hiding something from me," Lucy replied.  
  
"What do you think it could be?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"I don't know. I look nothing like them, any of them. They all have dark hair. Maybe I'm adopted. I can vaguley remember someone else caring for me, maybe I was put up for adoption," Lucy replied.  
  
"It must be horrible not knowing a family secret like that," Simon said.  
  
"It is," Lucy said, adding, "You guys never told me your names."  
  
"Oh, wow! We forgot our manners," Eric replied.  
  
"It's ok," Lucy said, picking at her food.  
  
"I'm Eric Camden," Eric said.  
  
"I'm Annie Camden," Annie replied.  
  
"I'm Sam Camden," Sam said.  
  
"And I'm David. We're twins," David replied. Lucy laughed.  
  
"I'm Ruthie Camden and this is my boyfriend Kyle Denver," Ruthie said.  
  
"I'm Simon Camden," Simon said.  
  
"I'm Mary Palmer," Mary said.  
  
"And I'm Robbie Palmer, her husband. She was a Camden for seventeen years until we made a mistake," Robbie replied.  
  
"A mistake?" Mary asked.  
  
"We got married too young," Robbie replied.  
  
"A mistake?" Mary asked.  
  
"Mary, that's not what I meant! I just meant that we should have known each other better before making a commitment!" Robbie replied.  
  
"No, I was ready for a commitment. You weren't!" Mary shouted, leaving the table. Robbie quickly followed her.  
  
"I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble," Lucy said.  
  
"It wasn't your fault, they have a lot of complicated problems. Mary's pregnant, Robbie dropped out of college, neither one of them are ready for marriage even though they've been married for almost four years now," Annie explained.  
  
"I didn't need to know all of that. I'll be out of here in a week, tops," Lucy replied.   
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Robbie caught up with Mary who was upstairs packing.  
  
"What are you doing?" Robbie asked.  
  
"I'm leaving you," Mary replied. Robbie pondered.   
  
"That doesn't make sense," Robbie said.  
  
"Why not?" Mary asked.  
  
"Well, this is your parents house, if you left, well, it doesn't make sense," Robbie replied.  
  
"Don't you ever regret doing what you did to me?" Mary asked.  
  
"What did I do?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Does Cheryl and Melissa and Joy and Tori mean anything to you?" Mary asked. Robbie gulped.  
  
"Mary, I thought that all was forgiven?" Robbie asked.  
  
"So did I. Now I realize, it's not been resolved. You cheated on me when we were dating and married. You cheated on me a lot Robbie Palmer, now I'm having your baby and you've probably already got one from cheating on me with at least four women," Mary replied.  
  
"Mary, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Robbie protested.  
  
"Yeah, well you did," Mary replied.  
  
"I'm sorry! Can you forgive me?" Robbie asked.  
  
"I did," Mary replied.  
  
"It doesn't seem like it," Robbie said.  
  
"Look, you just don't get it! You're too immature!" Mary replied.  
  
"I'm immature? Mary, I actually finished high school and had two years of college. I dropped out for us," Robbie explained.  
  
"How's that?" Mary asked.  
  
"We didn't have enough time between us. Either I was too tired from school, you were working, or it was nighttime and we were both completely beat. Mary, we are married, but we're just not spending enough time together," Robbie replied.  
  
"Oh, that's a laugh. I caught you and Cheryl making out at the promanade last Thanksgiving," Mary said.  
  
"Mary, I've changed!" Robbie replied.  
  
"You've said that before," Mary explained, walking out. By now, both of them had argued into tears.   
  
  
  
***  
  
Later at dinner, Eric, Annie, Mary, Simon, Ruthie, Sam, David, Robbie, and Kyle were at the table. Robbie sat beside Mary and they kissed. Sam and David kind of giggled and pretended to kiss each other.   
  
"Not funny, guys," Robbie said.  
  
"Yeah it is," Ruthie replied. She and Kyle secretly held hands under the table.  
  
"You guys, quit it," Mary said.  
  
"We're just kidding around, you don't have to be so serious," Robbie replied.   
  
"Fine, as long as you were just kidding around," Mary said. The doorbell rang.   
  
"I'll get it," Robbie said. He got up and answered the door. There stood Lucy.  
  
"Hi. I'm Lucy Loveday, I'm homeless," Lucy replied.  
  
"Come in, I'll be right there," Robbie said, letting her in. He went into the kitchen.   
  
"There's a girl in there who is homeless," Robbie said. They all moved to the living room, even the twins.   
  
"Hi, I'm Eric Camden," Eric said, extending his hand to Lucy.  
  
"I'm Lucy Loveday," Lucy replied, shaking his hand. They both felt something, but weren't sure of what.  
  
"You're homeless?" Annie asked.  
  
"Yes ma'm," Lucy replied.  
  
"Can she stay with us? We have two extra rooms," Ruthie asked.  
  
"Yes, why don't you stay with us until you can find yourself a place," Eric asked.  
  
"That would be great. I hope I'm not too much trouble," Lucy replied.  
  
"Do you have anything?" Annie asked.  
  
"I have a suitcase. My parents threw me out of the house. They thought that I was on drugs, but I can assure you that I'm not on drugs, my boyfriend was," Lucy replied.  
  
"Ok," Eric said.   
  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Lucy joined them for dinner. Everyone wanted to know who the mysterious homeless girl was.   
  
"So, Lucy, what brings you here?" Mary asked.  
  
"This house seemed to be a warm environment," Lucy replied.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Robbie said. He had loved the Camden family the day he met them, but they had had a hard time accepting him as Mary's husband.  
  
"How long have you lived around here?" Eric asked, remembering the feeling he had had when they shook hands.  
  
"Ever since I can remember. I have a photo album of my family. I have two sisters, no brothers. It seems I've always been the black sheep of the family, and they act like they're hiding something from me," Lucy replied.  
  
"What do you think it could be?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"I don't know. I look nothing like them, any of them. They all have dark hair. Maybe I'm adopted. I can vaguley remember someone else caring for me, maybe I was put up for adoption," Lucy replied.  
  
"It must be horrible not knowing a family secret like that," Simon said.  
  
"It is," Lucy said, adding, "You guys never told me your names."  
  
"Oh, wow! We forgot our manners," Eric replied.  
  
"It's ok," Lucy said, picking at her food.  
  
"I'm Eric Camden," Eric said.  
  
"I'm Annie Camden," Annie replied.  
  
"I'm Sam Camden," Sam said.  
  
"And I'm David. We're twins," David replied. Lucy laughed.  
  
"I'm Ruthie Camden and this is my boyfriend Kyle Denver," Ruthie said.  
  
"I'm Simon Camden," Simon said.  
  
"I'm Mary Palmer," Mary said.  
  
"And I'm Robbie Palmer, her husband. She was a Camden for seventeen years until we made a mistake," Robbie replied.  
  
"A mistake?" Mary asked.  
  
"We got married too young," Robbie replied.  
  
"A mistake?" Mary asked.  
  
"Mary, that's not what I meant! I just meant that we should have known each other better before making a commitment!" Robbie replied.  
  
"No, I was ready for a commitment. You weren't!" Mary shouted, leaving the table. Robbie quickly followed her.  
  
"I'm sorry that I caused so much trouble," Lucy said.  
  
"It wasn't your fault, they have a lot of complicated problems. Mary's pregnant, Robbie dropped out of college, neither one of them are ready for marriage even though they've been married for almost four years now," Annie explained.  
  
"I didn't need to know all of that. I'll be out of here in a week, tops," Lucy replied.   
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Robbie caught up with Mary who was upstairs packing.  
  
"What are you doing?" Robbie asked.  
  
"I'm leaving you," Mary replied. Robbie pondered.   
  
"That doesn't make sense," Robbie said.  
  
"Why not?" Mary asked.  
  
"Well, this is your parents house, if you left, well, it doesn't make sense," Robbie replied.  
  
"Don't you ever regret doing what you did to me?" Mary asked.  
  
"What did I do?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Does Cheryl and Melissa and Joy and Tori mean anything to you?" Mary asked. Robbie gulped.  
  
"Mary, I thought that all was forgiven?" Robbie asked.  
  
"So did I. Now I realize, it's not been resolved. You cheated on me when we were dating and married. You cheated on me a lot Robbie Palmer, now I'm having your baby and you've probably already got one from cheating on me with at least four women," Mary replied.  
  
"Mary, I didn't mean to hurt you!" Robbie protested.  
  
"Yeah, well you did," Mary replied.  
  
"I'm sorry! Can you forgive me?" Robbie asked.  
  
"I did," Mary replied.  
  
"It doesn't seem like it," Robbie said.  
  
"Look, you just don't get it! You're too immature!" Mary replied.  
  
"I'm immature? Mary, I actually finished high school and had two years of college. I dropped out for us," Robbie explained.  
  
"How's that?" Mary asked.  
  
"We didn't have enough time between us. Either I was too tired from school, you were working, or it was nighttime and we were both completely beat. Mary, we are married, but we're just not spending enough time together," Robbie replied.  
  
"Oh, that's a laugh. I caught you and Cheryl making out at the promanade last Thanksgiving," Mary said.  
  
"Mary, I've changed!" Robbie replied.  
  
"You've said that before," Mary explained, walking out. By now, both of them had argued into tears.   
  
  
  
*** 


	4. Chapter Four

Author's Notes :: First I'd like to say thank you for your honest comments.  
  
In fact, I know this story sucks. I wrote it about a year ago. My writing skills have improved. Not to mention I can spell better now. But thank you for being honest. I guess I should have changed it a bit, but I didn't have that kind of time.  
  
Also, I did write this story. At FanFiction.net, I do not go by the same name I do at other places. On my own website, Star Mackenzie Rosman and the 7th Heaven Joy message board, I go by ruthierocks. You must have read it at one of those two places. Now here's the stupid story.  
  
---  
  
After dinner was over, Ruthie and Kyle shot baskets outside.   
  
"So, who do you think this girl is?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Obviously Lucy Loveday," Ruthie replied, shooting the ball as it swoshed the net. Ruthie bowed as if scoring the winning goal for her junior varsity team, the Angels. Although her team was very agressive, they hardly ever fowled out. They'd been doing great all season until their team captain, Donna, broke her leg and was forced to give up the team.   
  
"Yeah, but why do you think she's really here?" Kyle asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I even want to know," Ruthie replied.  
  
"You usually want to know everything that goes on when it goes on," Kyle observed.  
  
"I guess it's a faze," Ruthie replied. She threw the ball to Kyle who shot and missed. He handed the ball to Ruthie and she threw from what had to be close to where a fowl line would be. She shot the ball and it bounced off the rim. Kyle caught it and made it go in the net. Ruthie clapped. She really liked Kyle. He was her second boyfriend ever, but was the best.  
  
"So, what's going on with Mary and Robbie?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Why do you want to know so much about my family?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Sorry, it's just that, as you know, I was an orphan for seven years, so I haven't had much of a life," Kyle replied.   
  
"I'm sorry," Ruthie said.  
  
"It's ok," Kyle replied.  
  
"Anyway, all I know is that Robbie cheated on Mary a lot and she found out. Now she's pregnant and they're always fighting. It really bothers me," Ruthie said.  
  
"Do you like Robbie?" Kyle asked.  
  
"He's nice and fun and stuff, but I'm not really sure. He broke my sister, my only sister's heart, and I guess I really resent him for that," Ruthie replied.  
  
"I would too," Kyle explained. They sat down on the snow-covered steps.   
  
"It's so cold," Ruthie said. Kyle took off his jacket and put it around Ruthie. Ruthie smiled. "You didn't have to do that."  
  
"I wanted to," Kyle replied.   
  
"Let's go in, I don't want you to get sick, plus, my pants are really wet," Ruthie said.  
  
"Mine too. I knew we should have cleared off that snow!" Kyle replied. Ruthie smiled and put her head on his shoulder as they walked inside, hand in hand. 


	5. Chapter Five

Annie took Lucy upstairs to the room that she would sleep in.   
  
"Thank you so much. Maybe all of your family could come and see pictures of my family in the photo album?" Lucy suggested.  
  
"We'd love to do that, I'll get everyone," Annie replied. Lucy smiled. This family had shared so much with her that she had to she them her family. Everyone came upstairs and Lucy opened the photo album.  
  
"Here is my sister Rhonda, me, and my baby sister Lindsey," Lucy said. She flipped the page.  
  
"This is my dad fixing our swingset when I was only eleven," Lucy said. She showed pictures of her family, but there were no pictures of Lucy as a little kid.  
  
"If you don't mind me asking, how come there are so many pictures of your sisters as babies, but none of you under age nine or so?" Ruthie asked. Lucy breathed.  
  
"I don't know. There never has been. The oldest picture of me that I have is this one," Lucy replied, pulling out a picture of a little girl in jeans and a purple shirt. She wore blue and white tennis shoes and had dark blonde hair. Eric stood up. She flipped over the picture and there, in blue pen, it said: Lucy July, 1990 Eight years old. Eric tapped Annie and they went out of the room.  
  
"I was born in July 1990," Ruthie stated.  
  
"That's cool," Lucy replied. Ruthie smiled.  
  
Outside the room, Eric and Annie talked.  
  
"What is it?" Annie asked.  
  
"That girl in that picture looks like Lucy," Eric replied.  
  
"It is Lucy," Annie said.  
  
"No, I don't mean Lucy Loveday, I mean Lucy Camden," Eric replied.  
  
"Eric, it's impossible. When did Lucy disappear?" Annie asked.  
  
"Can't you remember? The day Ruthie was born, Mary lost Simon and I went to go get him. While I was gone, Matt scared Lucy and she ran off. Then we found out about Jennifer and Ruthie. None of them know about Lucy, only Matt. None of them know about Jennifer, none of them," Eric replied.  
  
"They don't know about Ruthie either," Annie said.  
  
"That's true, but Ruthie's here, and she doesn't even know," Eric said.  
  
"We're lucky she's here," Annie said, "And like you said, none of them know, don't mention it. It's impossible." They went inside the room.   
  
"This photo wasn't taken here!" Lucy said, about the picture, adding, "This is the only picture that's not at our house or vacations."  
  
"Look in the background!" Mary said, pointing to a car with California plates.   
  
  
  
Lucy stared in the background of the picture, thoughts raced through her mind as she remembered running through a hall. It was a hospital. She was running, hair in her face, tears in her eyes.   
  
"What day in July were you born, Ruthie?" Lucy asked.  
  
"July 19th," Ruthie replied.   
  
"That was a historic day," Mary said, "I lost Simon and dad had to go get him, then Ruthie was born."  
  
Lucy's mind raced. She thought back, her thoughts unclear.   
  
"Daddy, daddy!" She screamed as she ran through the hospital. She ran into a person a head on and fell. They reached to hold her and she didn't resist. Then, she realized where she was and stopped day-dreaming.  
  
"I think I'm your daughter," Lucy said.   
  
  
  
  
  
"What are you talking about?" Simon asked. Eric and Annie pulled each other out into the hall again. They motioned for Lucy to follow them.  
  
"Lucy. We lost our eight year old daughter at the hospital when Ruthie was about to be born. We lived in California," Eric explained. Hot tears formed in Lucy's eyes.  
  
"How did it happen?" Lucy asked.  
  
"I was pregnant with twins. I went in a month early in labor. We were originally going to have a neighbor take care of our four kids, Matt, Mary, Lucy, and Simon. It happened so fast that we had no time and were forced to take the kids along. I went into have the twins, and Eric was out in the waiting room with the kids," Annie began.  
  
"We all sat down, but Mary and Simon went off to race. He was only but really little. Mary was almost ten. Then Matt and Lucy started playing and she got scared. Mary came back and said that she had lost Simon. I went to find him and Mary went with me. We came back to find Matt reading Sports Illistrated and Lucy nowhere to be found. Then I was called into see Annie. There were complications," Eric replied.  
  
"Then what happened?" Lucy asked.  
  
"He came in and we had two daughters. Unfortunatly, one had died and the other was given a week. Eric went back out and they all searched the hospital up and down, but Lucy Camden was gone at only eight years old," Annie replied.  
  
"Did she look like me in that picture?" Lucy asked.  
  
"Yes," Eric replied.   
  
  
  
"Ruthie's alive," Lucy said.  
  
"Yes. We were very fortunate. What she doesn't know is that she has a heart condition," Annie replied.  
  
"Here's what I remember. I was running through a white hallway and I ran into someone and that person was my mom," Lucy said.  
  
"My daughter," Annie said. They hugged.   
  
"I'll go tell the kids," Eric said.  
  
"Ok," Annie replied. Eric walked into the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Lucy is your sister," Eric replied.  
  
"What?" Simon asked.  
  
"I'll tell you," Eric replied.  
  
"You better," Mary said.  
  
"Should I be here?" Robbie asked.  
  
"You're a part of this family," Eric replied.   
  
"Dad," Ruthie said.  
  
"Ruthie, you're a twin," Eric began.  
  
"What? How? Where's my twin?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"She's dead," Eric replied. Ruthie fought off tears.   
  
"When did she die?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"She died an hour after you guys were born," Eric replied.  
  
"Why did I live? What happened?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"You guys were premature. Her name was Jennifer. Her heart gave out," Eric replied.  
  
"Anything else that I need to know?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"You have a heart condition," Eric replied.  
  
"But, when I get heart burn...."  
  
"It's not heart burn," Eric said.  
  
"How is Lucy our sister?" Mary asked.  
  
"She got lost at the hospital," Eric replied.   
  
"How's that possible?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"It is. We've been keeping this from you guys for all of these years," Eric replied.  
  
"Why didn't Matt and I remember?" Mary asked.  
  
"Matt does remember. We told you that she was only a neighbor that we babysitted," Eric replied.  
  
"And she believed you?" Simon asked.  
  
"Not at first, but when Lucy didn't come back, she eventually forgot," Eric replied. Lucy and Annie walked in.  
  
"Did you tell them?" Annie asked.  
  
"Is this some kind of joke?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Ruthie, honey. This is true!" Annie replied. Ruthie stood up.  
  
"I should have died too!" Ruthie yelled. She stormed out of the room. Mary went after her, but Eric held her back.  
  
"But she needs to talk..."  
  
"Let her go," Eric said. He loosened his grip on Mary and hugged her as she sobbed.   
  
  
  
  
  
Ruthie stayed in her room. She sat in the closet, not wanting to come out. Just then, Robbie came in to her.  
  
"Go away," Ruthie sobbed.  
  
"Ruthie, please listen to me," Robbie said.  
  
"What?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"You should be happy that you're alive," Robbie replied.  
  
"No. It should have been me. It shouldn't have been Jennifer. She deserves to have lived!" Ruthie shouted.  
  
"It wasn't up to you! Ruthie listen to me! You're alive, you're fine!" Robbie said.  
  
"Not for long!" Ruthie replied. She ran out of the closet and into the bathroom, slamming the door. Simon came into her room.  
  
"What happened?" Simon asked.  
  
"She threatned to kill herself," Robbie replied.  
  
"This isn't good," Simon stated. Robbie nodded.   
  
  
  
  
  
Lucy sat in her room. She felt uncomfortable in her own family's house. She's missed so much in her life. This was her family, but how would she have known? Her "family" had betrayed her. They took her. This was her family. That was the mother that she had been born to. That was her sister smoking outside. Her brother on a date. Her sister in the bathroom, hiding. Her twin brothers playing happily in their rooms. Eric walked in.  
  
"Lucy. I'm sure this is uncomfortable," Eric said.  
  
"No. It's ok. It's not your fault that it came to this, it's my fault," Lucy replied.  
  
"Your fault?" Eric asked. Lucy nodded. "No, no, it's not your fault. You were a little girl. You had no idea what was going on. You were scared. You had no control."  
  
"Don't give me that. It is my fault. So you can just quit sayin' that it's not! It is! Admit it! I wanted to go or I would have resisted! I would have screamed! I didn't! I wanted to go!" Lucy yelled. Eric tried to touch his daughter, but she pushed away.  
  
"Lucy," Eric said.  
  
"You don't know me. My fears, my goals. You don't know. You may be my biological father, but you're not my dad!" Lucy replied, storming out of the room. 


	6. Chapter Six

Eric decided to talk to everyone. They assembled in the living room.  
  
"It's no one's fault. No one is to blame. Lucy is our family. What happened twelve years ago is long past," Eric stated.  
  
"It's my fault, though. If I had never been born, nothing would have happened," Ruthie replied.  
  
"It's my fault, Dad would have been there if I hadn't lost Simon," Mary said.  
  
"It's my fault, though, I ran from you," Simon replied.  
  
"Isn't it Matt's fault?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Save it!" Lucy yelled, standing up, "It's my fault! I did it! It was me!" Eric ran to her.  
  
"No, it's no one's fault. We'll be fine, let's just take this slowly. The healing will come," Eric replied. Lucy hugged him and he returned the embrace.   
  
The End 


End file.
